Monoposto Championship, Cadwell Park, 1800, 7 September2008

With no qualifying, the race was to start in the finishing order of the Saturday race. However, the first Saturday results sheet had incorrectly included Jim Timms as a finisher and a corrected results sheet was issued. Dr Sod’s law prevailed and the marshals in assembly on Sunday seemed to be working from the uncorrected results sheet while those on the grid had the corrected version. The upshot was that Jim started the race from an incorrect grid position, a situation noticed and announced by the commentators on the PA.

I don’t know if Jim’s grid position had any effect on the race because he was slow away and in the middle of the 1800 group which briefly contained Russ Giles with a slow starting Reynard. Peter Bragg had 1800 pole and disappeared to play with the midfield 2 litre cars, he took his customary class win, finishing a creditable 8th overall, ahead of four Classics and one Mono2000.

The remaining 1800s put on one of the best races of the day with five cars covered by less than a second for much of the race and all over the track into every corner. As far as I can remember it was remarkably clean with no car to car contact despite the close proximity of the cars and the requirement to stay off the green stuff because it was still saturated.

All weekend Richard Reader showed an impressive ability to overtake, he worked his way to the front of the pack to take a class second, clear ahead of Bill Janson who stoutly defended class third from Jim Timms. Jim was followed by Doug McLay. Douglas had eventually outbraked Patrick Huston into Mansfield, he finished fifth and last finisher in the class. He should have been followed by Patrick and Jock Sergison. Unsurprisingly, the squabbling 1800s had been slowing each other up. Jock Sergison was lapping faster and caught them with a couple of laps remaining.

On the last lap Patrick let the second placed Mono2000 lap him as he entered Hall Bends, Jock Sergison tried to follow through and had the traditional crash at this point of the track, losing the car over the crest in front of the restaurant. Instead of hitting the Armco, as most do, he hit Patrick. Both Swifts were eliminated with extensive suspension and other damage.

Most of the competitors celebrated a race that finished with a chequered flag but if the race had been one lap longer it would have been red flagged.

Patrick Huston

Jim Timms leads Rupert Reader

Rupert Reader leads Patrick Huston

Jock Sergisson surveys his Swift pensively